Fic: Promised - Chapter 71
Title: Promised
Author: neddiheht (Ashavan Doyon)
Artist: ritalaura2000
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: All ATWT characters the property of P&G/Telenext. Harry Potter and the characters associated with that universe belong to J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, and Scholastic. No copyright infringement intended. No profit made from this fiction.
Characters/Pairings: Noah/Draco, Luke/Neville, Luke/Noah, Draco/Harry. Some mention of other fun pairings not involving Luke, Noah, Draco or Harry.
Word Count: 205,207
Warnings alternate universe, graphic sex, arranged marriages, mpreg, some mention of non-consensual sex. This is a Nuke fic set largely in the Harry Potter verse and combined with a Drarry pairing.
Summary: Luciano Grimaldi was a perfectly happy young wizard. His family carefully neutral during the war, he has found happiness in the years since Voldemort's fall with herbologist, hero, and friend of the Savior, Neville Longbottom. Only he's just been informed that in the tradition of ancient pure blood families, he was promised at birth, in an offering to keep his family safe, to the son of infamous American Death Eater Winston Mayer.
Noah Mayer is a very unhappy wizard. In love for years with fellow Death Eater Draco Malfoy, the two young men have secretly found solace and love in each others arms, dreading the day they knew would come. They are promised, in the traditions of the oldest families. Promised to young wizards who didn't know. Married, for all intents and purposes, almost at birth to strangers who will doubtless hate them. Now they must surrender to duty and obligation. Now they must turn their backs on a love they know and risk everything for what might be. Noah always knew he hated pure blood traditions. This was why.
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Chapter 71
Harry made his way through the maze of corridors in the dungeons of Hogwarts to the advanced potions laboratory. The room held few happy memories for him. Even the time with Professor Slughorn was tainted by the need he'd had to befriend the professor and worm his way into his confidence. All strategy. Not for the first time he wondered if Albus Dumbledore too had fought a sorting into Slytherin house.
Noah was inside, dressed in flowing black robes not dissimilar from those Snape had always worn. They were open at the front, revealing the difference. Snape had dressed always in conservative robes of almost Victorian fashion, while Noah favored tight black Muggle clothes. Harry wondered for a moment what had formed the habit of wearing Muggle clothing... and it was a habit, Harry knew from Hermione, who had wondered the same thing. He should have consulted her, she'd had plenty of time to formulate the answer and no doubt had figured it out and just never told him.
Noah's usual flowing movements however were almost awkward. He was walking in half-steps and shuffles that minimized... oh. Harry glanced at the man's neck and tried to repress his smirk. With Hermione and Ron always trying to hide just how far their relationship had gone, Harry had learned long ago to spot the glamours that concealed love bites. Noah was clearly just as adept at them as Hermione, but that didn't keep Harry from spotting the telltale signs. Combined with the walk... Luciano must have taken Neville's admonishment not to do the relationship half-way seriously.
"It's not your business," said Noah, glancing up at him with a stare worthy of Severus Snape. "Where's Draco?"
"He didn't want you upset, seeing him," said Harry. "I wasn't trying to take him away from you. I really hope you know that."
"He always belonged to you," said Noah. "I always knew it. I just. For a moment I thought he'd let himself be mine." Noah fixed his eyes on Harry. "And I was right. But his family wanted you." He sneered the last word. "And they..."
"Merlin, Noah, don't you dare hold me to account for the mistakes of Lucius Malfoy."
Noah's face fell. "Draco told me you knew."
"Noah," said Harry, sitting down. "I'm not here to cause you pain. Pomfrey thinks I need potions for my condition. I promised to trust her. I promised Draco that I'd trust you to provide them."
"I will. I just." He looked at Harry, a smoldering anger in his eyes. "Twins, Harry. Most wizard couples get just one chance, if that... and mine. Lucius took care of my chance with Draco."
"Lucius took it, Noah. Not Draco. He grieves too, you know. He doesn't let anyone else see it, but he does. That's why," Harry gripped his abdomen. "That's why I'm here. At Hogwarts, I mean. He's scared. Terrified. I'm half-blood and this isn't supposed to happen. And like you, he thought his only chance was gone."
Noah looked down. "I know. I could see... when he told me about... it was because he was afraid for you more than anything else. I'm still angry, okay. I have a right!"
"You do," said Harry. "You absolutely do. I'm not asking you not to be angry. I just hope one day you'll forgive him. He loves you."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Should it?" Harry glanced at Noah's neck. "I know what those marks mean. And I can guess what the ones you're hiding under glamours mean."
Noah's hand went to his neck and he winced as the movement stretched the still healing bite marks across his back. "It hurts. That he just gave me up. I would have..."
"You'd have fought for him."
Noah turned away. "I would have lost him. I would have fought. But I also would have lost. My only hope of keeping him was the daughter I'll never see."
"He mourns her too, Noah," Harry stood up. "And he loves you. I don't begrudge him that. Denying it was the only thing he could really have done to keep me from going through with the binding when he came to me. You sent him to me. You wanted him to be happy."
"But I didn't really know, not in here," Noah said pounding his chest, "that we could have been!"
"And what about those," said Harry nodding with a gesture to indicate Noah's neck. "A marked binding. Hermione tells me that no one does those anymore. But you did, with Luciano. And those marks don't lie."
"No," said Noah. "They don't lie. We..."
"Unless I'm very mistaken, and I doubt that I am, you should be having your feast of intent."
"He doesn't want that."
Harry shook his head. "He's a man of contradictions. A Muggle that is also pure blood. A dark wizard who hates dark arts."
Noah glared at him, but spoke rather hesitantly, "You think he does want it?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know him well. Perhaps you should ask someone who does."
"But that means..."
Harry nodded.
Noah grumbled and stepped forward, wincing again. "Don't know how you get used to this," said Noah.
"I know," said Harry, letting himself laugh, but still feeling the color come to his cheeks, "feels wonderful at the time, but walking the next day is..."
Noah chuckled. "Don't suppose you have tips?"
"I don't think we're close enough for me to be sharing those sorts of tips," said Harry with a shy grin, "and besides. I've only ever. Well, with Draco. And we've only been doing this for a few weeks.
Noah nodded. "Fair point. I suppose, well, if I manage to figure out anything that helps, I'll pass it along then." He shook his head. "I'll have nightmares about this conversation. Just telling you now. I should be mortified to be talking about bottoming with Harry Potter. Well, with anyone honestly." His cheeks shone bright red.
"So, potions?" asked Harry.
"Here," said Noah, shuffling to the counter where a cauldron was set over a flame simmering. He spooned a bit into a vial. "It has to be made fresh at least once a week. I'm afraid I'll need fresh blood that frequently as well. And once a month there will be a different potion to help stabilize the pregnancy. That one requires..." he looked sheepishly at Harry, "Sorry, it's sorta embarrassing to be asking for it, but the potion requires it. I'll need semen from both of you. That'll have to be fresh as well, and I'll remind you when it gets near the time."
"This looks like boiled dragon bile," said Harry sniffing hesitantly. "Smells like it too."
"Well, you're not far off," said Noah. "That is indeed in the ingredients list."
"It's safe?"
Noah gave him a withering look. "I do know my job. And no amount of anger could bring me to risk anyone I know having to suffer through... I won't let you go through that loss Harry. Nor will I put Draco through it again."
"I... I do know that, Noah. Do I," he glanced hesitantly over the edge of the cauldron, "even really want to know what's in this?"
"No. It costs a fortune and the ingredients are not pleasant. They're also notorious for going all wonky, which is why the potion can only be prepared a week in advance."
"Do I need to pay..."
"You're on staff, Harry. The ingredients are being taken from our stores here at the castle, and Minerva has already approved the order of more."
Noah handed him the vial. "Three times a day, Harry. It's vile, but it will help keep you from suffering a miscarriage."
"Why do potions never taste like pumpkin juice."
"If it tasted like pumpkin juice, I can pretty much guarantee you it would be a poison."
"Yeah, I do remember some of what Snape taught us," said Harry. "I really, I appreciate this, Noah."
The potions master hesitated. "Perhaps there is something..."
"Name it."
"Luciano... he has no friends here," said Noah quickly. "I thought perhaps we could, the four of us, have dinner. I am accustomed to such loneliness, but Luciano..."
"He isn't really even on staff, is he?" asked Harry. "Merlin, what's he doing?"
"He is sacrificing for his promised. I," Noah looked intently at Harry, "I'd like to make that sacrifice more pleasant for him if I could."
"And you think dinner?" Harry looked thoughtful. "Neville?"
"Just the four of us, Harry. The other professors are rather a lot older than any of us, and Neville... I'm not adverse to having him join us later, but right now? I'm aiming to make this easier for Luke, not harder."
"I could ask Hermione and Ron..."
"Just the four of us, Harry. This is for your benefit as well. The fewer people who know about... well, it will be easier," said Noah. "And you'll be able to talk about it."
"Ron knows already."
"But Hermione doesn't," countered Noah holding up a hand. "And yes, I'm sure of that. If she did, I would have received an owl already. If not a full-fledged visit."
"You?"
"Yes, me. She'd hardly trouble you directly, at least not right away. She'd want to research it first, and she'd trust me to have the books she needed." He leveled a knowing look at Harry. "You'll remember that we worked together in close quarters for several years, unable to talk to anyone else about what we were doing."
"It's just strange for someone else to know Hermione that way," said Harry. "I should be thanking you. I reckon that having you there kept a lot of the pressure off of me when I was hiding away at Grimmauld Place."
"Very well, Noah. Dinner, this week before the students come," said Harry.
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This story is written as part of the Nuke BigBang challenge. Check out the other authors' and artists' great work!